1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electric connector including a first housing defining an inner space therein, and a second housing to be fit into the inner space.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is known an electric connection including a pair of a first housing defining an inner space therein, and a second housing to be fit into the inner space of the first housing, in which case, the first housing is formed with a projection protruding into the inner space, and the second housing is formed with a recess into which the projection is fit, in order to prevent the second housing from being fit into the inner space in a twisted or upside down posture.
An example of the above-mentioned electric connector is suggested in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. S58 (1983)-51586.
FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a female connector 1001 as a part of the suggested electric connector, and FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a male connector 1101 as a part of the suggested electric connector.
As illustrated in FIG. 14, the female connector 1001 is formed with a pair of grooves 1002 at inner surfaces of sidewalls of an opening. As illustrated in FIG. 15, the male connector 1101 is formed with a pair of projections 1102 outwardly protruding from outer surfaces of sidewalls. The projections 1102 are fit into the grooves 1002 when the male connector 1101 is fit into the female connector 1001.
Another example of the above-mentioned electric connector is suggested in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-103449.
FIG. 16 is a front view of a male housing 1100 of the suggested electric connector, and FIG. 17 is a front view of a female housing 1110 of the suggested electric connector.
The male housing 1100 includes a hood 1101 into which the female housing 1110 is fit. The hood 1101 is formed at an inner surface thereof with first projections 1102 protruding into the hood 1101, and second projections 1103 extending from the first projections 1102. The first and second projections 1102 and 1103 are of L-shaped. The female housing 1110 is formed with first portions 1111 and second portions 1112 extending from the first portions 1111. The first and second portions 1111 and 1112 define L-shaped grooves 1113 into which the first and second projections 1102 and 1103 are fit to thereby prevent the hood 1101 from being outwardly deformed.
FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a conventional male electric connector 2100 having an outer housing 2101 defining an inner space 2102 therein, and FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a conventional female electric connector 2200 having an inner housing 2201 to be fit into the inner space 2102 of the outer housing 2101.
It is supposed that the inner housing 2201 is inserted in a wrong position, specifically, upside down into the inner space 2102 of the outer housing 2101.
The outer housing 2101 is formed with a pair of projections 2103 protruding into the inner space 2102 from an inner surface of the inner space 2102. The inner housing 2201 is formed with a pair of grooves 2202 into which the projections 2103 can be fit only when the inner housing 2201 is fit in a correct position into the inner space 2102 of the outer housing 2101. Accordingly, if the inner housing 2201 is inserted upside down into the inner space 2102 of the outer housing 2101, the projections 2103 make abutment with a thin-wall bottom 2203 of the inner housing 2201.
If the projections 2103 of the outer housing 2101 make intensive abutment with the thin-wall bottom 2203 of the inner housing 2201, the thin-wall bottom 2203 may be damaged.